Hand operated indicator



April 10, 1934. M. PETERSON HAND OPERATED INDICATOR Filed May 31, 1930 6INVENTOR Mari'izzfeierpon. Y

. L Af 'ORN F E Y fiTO in a a i Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a hand operated indicator, and an object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and inexpensive indicator by which a user may keep tally, for instance in a card game, or in various other relations which will suggest themselves.

A further object is to so design the device that it may be held always in the palm of the hand of the user during use.

A further object is to so construct the device that it may be retained in operative position through the medium of a ring encircling one of the operators fingers, the ring being either a part of the device or an ordinary finger ring engaged by a part of the device.

A further object is to so construct the device as to adapt it for equally satisfactory use in either the right hand or the left hand of the user.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means whereby the movable indicator element of the device will click step by step from one register number to the next in use.

A further object is to so construct the device that it may be easily assembled.

A further object is to so construct the device that its movable indicator element is readily detachable and capable of being assembled in different relations to the remainder of the device.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing which is to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the invention:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hand operated indicator showing the same in association with the dotted line representation of a hand.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. l, the hand being again represented in dotted lines to illustrate the manner of operation of the device.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the device, a portion of the movable indicator element being shown in side elevation.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken upon the plane of line IVIV of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that seen in Fig. 3, but the movable indicator element being shown separated from the remainder of the device preparatory to being assembled therewith.

Referring to the drawing for describing in detail the structure which is illustrated therein, the reference character L indicates the body member of the device, this consisting of a simple cylindrical tubular shell of appropriate length open at both of its ends and having a window as 1 through its side wall at a point midway in its length.

The reference character G indicates the movable indicator element. This element is formed separate from the body member L. It is of a shape to fit into the interior of the body L and is adapted to be rotated therein. At one of its ends there is provided an enlarged knurled finger grip portion 2 adapted to be engaged by the thumb of the operator, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2 for the purpose of rotating said member. The portion 2 provides a shoulder as 3 at its juncture with the remainder of the member adapted to engage against the end edge surface as 4 of the body L to limit the distance to which the member G may be moved into the body L, said shoulder serving instantly also to place the knurled surface of the portion 2 beyond the end of the body where it will be conveniently accessible always to the operators thumb.

Various difierent means may be provided for retaining the member G in operative position within the body L but for this purpose the drawing herewith suggests that said member, or element, G be formed with a small protuberance as 5 projecting radially therefrom adjacent one of its ends adapted to engage within an annular groove as 6 provided in the inner surface of the body L near one end of said body when the member G is inserted into said body.

A similar groove 7 is provided interiorly of the body adjacent its opposite end. The member G may be inserted into the body from either end, as may be desired, according for instance to whether the device is to be used in the right hand or the left hand of the operator, and the pro tuberance 5 will engage within either the groove 6 or groove 7 according to which end the member G is inserted from.

A suitable amount of resilience is provided for the protuberance 5 order that it may at all times exert an appropriate spring pressure against the groove 6'] to retain the two members against objectionable free rotation with respect to each other, and to this end the drawing herewith suggests that the member G may preferably be formed as a thin slightly flattened metallic shell having a fit within the body L which is slightly loose on the flattened sides and tight on the elongated sides so that the resiliency of the walls of said member may be utilized to urge the protuberance 5 radially outwardly into the groove 67. The end portion of said member G carrying the protuberance 5 may, for instance, be normally slightly distorted from a true circle, the protuberance 5 being placed at what may be conveniently referred to as a high point, and thus when the member G is moved into the circular bore of the body L it will be of necessity caused to assume a condition more nearly circular than before, and thus exert spring tendencyholding the protuberance 5 frictionally against the Wall of the body, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4.

In order that the rotary movement of the mem ber G shall progress with a suitable. snap action step by step under the control of the operators thumb the groove 6-7 may be provided with en'- largements as 88 therein appropriately spaced along said groove and into which the protuberance 5 will snap, as will be readily seen from an inspection of the drawing.

Any means may be provided for bringing successive numerals into register with the window 1 for observation through said window as the member G is snapped around, and the drawing herewith illustrates the simplest form of such means, namely the simple series 9 of numerals arranged in a row circumferentially of the member G at a point mid-way between the shoulder 3 and the opposite end as 10 of said member so that said numerals will be visible at the window irrespective of whether the member G be inserted into one end of the body L or into the opposite end.

In order that the numerals 9 may be conspicuous and be saved from injury by handling of the member G, or by the frictional contact of said member with the interior surface of the body L, an annular depression or groove as 11 is provided in the surface of the member G to carry said numerals, said depressed surface being preferably colored, as with red enamel or the like-so that the numerals will stand out in conspicuous contrast with said color, the numerals themselves being of a suitably contrasting color pro vided in a suitable manner. I

A suitable guard as 12 may be provided upon the body L projecting so as to hold the knurled finger grip portion 2 of the member G free of objectionable contact with the operators hand if desired as clearly appears in the drawing, said guard 12 being duplicated at opposite ends of the body so as to serve its intended purpose irrespective of whether the member G be placed in one end or the other of said body.

It is one of the purposes of this device that it may be conveniently carried in the palm of the operators hand and sothat it may preferably not interfere unduly with the use of the fingers of said hand for other purposes, and suitable means to this end are contemplated, an illustration of such means as given in the drawing con sisting of a small metallic finger as 13 projecting tangentially from the body L adapted to be slipped under a finger ring or the like as 14 present upon the operators finger, as clearly indicated in the drawing.

This extension may, or may not, be formed as an extending part of the same piece of material comprising the guards 12, and, if preferred, the ring 14 may if desired be integral with the extension, or directly with the body L. It will be understood that in any event the present device may be easily attached to, or removed from, operative connection with the operators hand the connection being of a character to hold the device in position for instant operation by the thumb of the operators hand at any moment.

In order to use this device the operator has simply to place it in position in the palm of his hand, either by slipping the finger 13 under his finger ring or, if the ring be made as a part of the device, then by slipping the ring onto his finger. The device will thus be held in position without interfering with the free use of the fingers and thumb of the operators hand and yet the movable indicator element of the device may be instantly snapped around by the operators thumb to progressively change the numerals present at the window 1.

If the operator prefers to have the knurled portion 2 at the opposite end of the body L as compared with the illustration in Fig. 1 he has simply to draw the member G lengthwise out of the body and introduce it into the opposite end of the body, the engagement of the protuberance 5 with groove 67, and with the enlargements 8, serving to hold the member G against accidental displacement thereafter while yet permitting convenient removal of the member G at the will of the operator.

This device may obviously be used with equal convenience on either the right or left hand of the operator. The fact that the member G may be positioned within the shell or body L from either end of said shell or body is of particular advantage in this connection since it enables the operator to place the member G so that its finger grip portion 2 will stand on that end of the shell at which it may be most conveniently and naturally rotated by the operator whether the operator be right-handed or left-handed.

As many changes could'be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A hand operated indicator comprising a cylindrical shell having a window through the wall thereof, a movable indicator element rotatable within said shell having a finger grip portion projecting from one end of the shell by which to manually rotate the indicator element, said indicator having numerals for successive presentation at said window during rotation, and the indicator element being normally elliptical in contour but being resilient and being sprung so as to approximate a circular contour when in operative position within the shell thereby providing a resilient pressure of one part of the indicator element against the inner surface of the shell to yieldingly frictionally retain the indicator element in adjusted rotary position within the shell.

2. A hand operated indicator comprising a cylindrical shell having a window through the wall thereof, a movable indicator element rotatable within said shell having a finger grip portion projecting from one end of the shell by which to rotate it, said indicator element having numerals for successive presentation at said window during rotation of said element, and a member carried by the shell continuing beyond one end thereof standing out of engagement with said finger grip portion but lapping one side thereof to substantially the outer end of the finger grip portion so as to constitute a guard for said finger grip portion.

3. A hand operated indicator comprising a cylindrical shell having a window through the wall thereof, a movable indicator element rotatable within said shell having a finger grip portion projecting from one end of the shell by which to manually rotate the indicator element, said indicator element having numerals for successive presentation at said window during rotation, and the indicator element being normally elliptical in MARTIN PETERSON. 

